Monthly Archives: April 2018

exton, Exton Linux distributions, LINUX

MeX 64 bit Linux based on Ubuntu 18.04 LTS with Cinnamon 3.6.7 – Build 180426

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NEWS/CHANGES 180426
Mex Linux is no longer based on Linux Mint. MeX Build 180426 is based only on Debian and Ubuntu 18.04 LTS (Long Term Support). I have replaced the original kernel with “my” special kernel 4.15.0-19-exton. All packages in MeX Linux have been upgraded to the latest version by 180426. This version of MeX uses Cinnamon 3.6.7. Linux Mint 18.3 also uses Cinnamon 3.6.7 as Desktop environment.

MORE MeX NEWS 180426
1. The MeX ISO is now a ISO-hybrid, which means that it can very easily be transferred (copied) to a USB pen drive.
2. Another big improvement is that MeX now can run from RAM. Use Boot alternative 4 (load to RAM). When the system has booted up you can eject the disc (DVD)/USB stick. You’ll need at least 2 GB RAM to run MeX that way. The ISO file is of only 990 MB so MeX will run superfast from RAM!
3. I have replaced Google Chrome with Firefox. Google Chrome is no longer needed to be able to run Netflix in Linux.
4. The best thing with this new MeX build – Create your own installable Ubuntu 18.04 LTS Live DVD with Refracta tools (pre-installed)! The whole “remasterprocess” is so simple that a 10 year old child can do it.

Important about Refracta
You can use the Refracta tools (pre-installed in MeX Build 180426) to create your own installable Ubuntu Live DVD once you have installed MeX to hard drive. I mean change everything and then create a whole new Ubuntu 18.04 live system.

USB installations
When running MeX live (from a USB stick or DVD) you can install MeX to a USB stick using the regular installation program Refracta Installer. Then (of course) all your system changes will be permanent. Watch this slideshow.

Read more about USB installations…

SCREENSHOTS
Screenshot 1 – Spotify running (install Spotify with sudo apt-get install spotify-client)
Screenshot 2 – Cinnamon 3.6.7 Desktop with Synaptic running
Screenshot 3 – Boot screen when running MeX live
Screenshot 4 – Boot screen when running from hard drive

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exton, Exton Linux distributions, LINUX

ExTiX 18.4-2 with Deepin 15.5 Desktop, Refracta snapshot, Calamares 3.1.12 Installer and kernel 4.16.2-exton – Build 180421

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NEWS about ExTiX 18.4-2 Deepin 180421
I’ve released a new version of ExTIX 18.4-2 Deepin today with Calamares 3.1.12 and kernel 4.16.2-exton. Calamares is an installer framework. By design it is very customizable, in order to satisfy a wide variety of needs and use cases. All packages have been updated to the latest available version as of today. Study all installed packages in ExTiX Deepin Build 180421.

About ExTiX 18.4-2 with the Deepin 15.5 Desktop
I’ve made a new extra version of ExTiX with Deepin 15.5 Desktop (made in China!). Deepin is devoted to providing a beautiful, easy to use, safe and reliable system for global users. Only a minimum of packages are installed in ExTiX Deepin. You can of course install all packages you want. Even while running ExTiX Deepin live. I.e. from a DVD or USB stick. Study all installed packages in ExTiX Deepin.

ABOUT ExTiX
All five ExTiX systems are based on Ubuntu and Debian.

The Ultimate Linux System
I’ve called my different versions of ExTiX The Ultimate Linux System for many years by now. As regards ExTiX 18.4-2 Deepin I feel it’s especially justified. Everything just works.

Refracta Tools
While running ExTiX Deepin 18.4-2 live or from hard drive you can use Refracta Tools (pre-installed) to create your own live installable Ubuntu system. A ten year child can do it!

THE IMPORTANCE of ExTiX LXQt now being based on Ubuntu 18.04 (UNSTABLE/DEVELOPMENT)
I don’t think it is too important since ExTiX Deepin doesn’t use complicated Desktop Environments like KDE, Gnome or Unity. Programs won’t crash or anything like that. And I haven’t discovered any bugs to report. Besides the FinalFreeze of upcoming Ubuntu 18.04 was already at April 19, 2018.

SCREENSHOTS
1. ExTiX Deepin 15.5 Desktop
2. ExTiX Deepin being installed in VirtualBox using Refracta Installer
3. ExTiX Deepin running Refracta snapshot
4. ExTiX Deepin running in VMware
5. ExTiX Deepin running the Refracta Installer
6. ExTiX Deepin login screen (LightDM)

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exton, Exton Linux distributions, LINUX

ExTiX 18.4 – “The Ultimate Linux System” – with LXQt 0.12.0, Refracta Tools, Calamares Installer and kernel 4.16.2-exton – Build 180419

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I have made a new version of ExTiX – The Ultimate Linux System. I call it ExTiX 18.4 LXQt Live DVD. (The previous version was 17.8 from 171012).

ABOUT
ExTiX 18.4 LXQt DVD 64 bit is based on Debian 9 Stretch and Ubuntu 18.04 Bionic Beaver, to be released 180426. The original system includes the Desktop Environment Gnome. After removing Gnome I have installed LXQt 0.12.0. LXQt is the Qt port and the upcoming version of LXDE, the Lightweight Desktop Environment. It is the product of the merge between the LXDE-Qt and the Razor-qt projects: A lightweight, modular, blazing-fast and user-friendly desktop environment.

The system language is ENGLISH.

Used KERNEL
My special kernel 4.16.2-exton corresponding Kernel.org’s stable kernel 4.16.2.

What’s new in kernel 4.16?

NEWS ABOUT ExTiX 18.4 Build 180419 with the LXQt Desktop environment
1. ExTiX LXQt is based on Ubuntu 18.04 Bionic Beaver. LXQt 0.12.0 is used as Desktop environment. All packages have been updated to the latest version by 180419. Kernel 4.16.2-exton is used. (Kernel.org‘s kernel 4.16.2).
2. Firefox has replaced Google Chrome as Web Browser. It’s now possible to watch Netflix movies also in Firefox (while running Linux).
3. I have replaced Ubuntu’s installer Ubiquity with Calamares Installer. Calamares is an installer framework. By design it is very customizable, in order to satisfy a wide variety of needs and use cases.
4. Other included important/useful packages are: LibreOffice, Thunderbird, GParted, Brasero, SMPlayer, GCC and other compilation tools so that you can install packages from source. Furthermore “all” multimedia codecs. Everything the average Linux user could wish for I would say.

Refracta Tools
While running ExTiX LXQt 18.4 live or from hard drive you can use Refracta tools (pre-installed) to create your own live installable Ubuntu system. A ten year child can do it!

THE IMPORTANCE of ExTiX LXQt now being based on Ubuntu 18.04 (UNSTABLE/DEVELOPMENT)
I don’t think it is too important since ExTiX LXQt doesn’t use complicated Desktop Environments like KDE, Gnome or Unity. Programs won’t crash or anything like that. And I haven’t discovered any bugs to report. Besides the FinalFreeze of upcoming Ubuntu 18.04 is today (180419).

SCREENSHOTS
Screenshot of ExTiX 18.4 Desktop – LXQt 0.12.0
Netflix running in ExTiX 18.4
Refracta tools running while logged in as user live
Connections to Windows computers via PCManFM-qt using Samba
ExTiX running in VMware
ExTiX running in VirtualBox

READ MORE…


Read about my Android-x86 Systems – Oreo, Nougat, Marshmallow, Lollipop and KitKat at
andex.exton.net – latest is AndEX Oreo 8.1!

and

about my Nougat, Marshmallow and Lollipop versions for Raspberry Pi 3/2 at
raspex.exton.se – latest is RaspAnd Nougat 7.1.2!

exton, Exton Linux distributions, LINUX

exGENT (Gentoo) 64bit Live DVD with LXQt and kernel 4.15.14-aufs-gentoo-exgent – Build 180410 – can be installed in 2 min!

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NEWS 20180410 about exGENT (Gentoo) 64 bit
I’ve made a new version of exGENT with only a few necessary packages pre-installed. It uses LXQt as Desktop environment and kernel 4.15.14-aufs-gentoo-exgent. The ISO file is of 1490 MB due to the fact that I’ve included the kernel sources. They are needed for installation of certain software. Despite this exGENT version 180410 runs surprisingly fast from DVD or USB. Even in VirtualBox and VMware. Faster than most other Linux live systems. I call my new version exGENT 2018 LXQt Live DVD. It replaces version 170407 and 170412. Those versions were too old for upgrading. I had to start over and build version 180410 from “scratch”. All installed packages in exGENT have been updated to the latest available version by 180410. Study the full package list.

What’s new in exGENT Build 180410?
The boot loader Grub Legacy has been replaced by Grub2. MOST IMPORTANT: In exGENT versions before 170309 the file system wasn’t writable when running exGENT live (from DVD). Now you can emerge (install) new programs/packages even while running the system from a DVD or USB stick. If you do that and later decide to install exGENT to hard drive all your changes will follow! Furthermore you can install/transfer exGENT to a USB stick with the dd command in Linux or use Etcher and Rufus in Windows. Such installations were impossible before. NOTE: I have not installed Google Chrome. It’s not needed anymore, since Netflix nowadays runs very well in Firefox. About the LXQt Desktop environment: LXQt is a lightweight Qt desktop environment. It will not get in your way. It will not hang or slow down your system. It is focused on being a classic desktop with a modern look and feel.

Used KERNEL
My special kernel 4.15.14-aufs-gentoo-exgent corresponding Kernel.org’s kernel 4.15.14.

Quick install to Hard Drive
exGENT Linux can be installed to hard drive in 2 – 8 min. (Depending on computer type). This means that all of you who might hesitate to perform a normal Gentoo installation – which can take up to a couple of days – now have the chance to get this great Linux system (Gentoo) installed on your computers very easy. Read below on how the installation works.

UPGRADE the System
The exGENT System (version 180410) is in very good shape, since I, without problems, have been able to update the whole system with the following commands:

# emerge –ask –update –newuse –deep –with-bdeps=y @world
# emerge –depclean
# revdep-rebuild

NOTE 1: Before running the above three commands you’ll have to run the commands emerge –sync followed by emerge —oneshot portage

NOTE 2: After a hard drive installation of exGENT you should run the above commands at least every month (to keep the system in good shape).

SPOTIFY
You can easy and quick install Spotify in exGENT. Just run the command emerge spotify. The installation takes about 1 min.
NOTE: Spotify is pre-installed in Build 180410.

Rolling distribution
Gentoo/exGENT is a rolling distribution, which implies that once you have installed the system on the hard drive there is no need for re-installations (which otherwise is common in the Linux world).

Who is exGENT/Gentoo for?
Experienced Linux users or those who really want to learn Linux. (Perhaps also for people who are bored with mainstream distributions like Ubuntu).

Screenshots
1. exGENT Build 180410 running Vlc
2. exGENT running Spotify
3. exGENT running Cups
4. exGENT running in VirtualBox
5. exGENT running in VMware

READ MORE…

 

exton, Exton Linux distributions, LINUX, Raspberry Pi systems

RaspArch Build 180402 :: Run Arch Linux on your new Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ computer :: Install using Win32 Disk Imager in Windows!

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rasparch-logoThis version (180402) is my sixth build of RaspArch
The first version is from 150414. The second is from 151107. The third is from 160312 specially made for Raspberry Pi 3 Model B. The fourth version is from 161205. The fifth version is from 171102. This version (180402) is especially made for the new Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+, but it can of course also be used on a Raspberry Pi 3 Model B and Raspberry Pi 2 Model B.

RaspArch is a “remaster” of Arch Linux ARM. The original compressed system is of 231 MB. After I have added the LXDE Desktop environment, PulseAudio, Firefox, Yaourt and Gimp the system increased a lot. RaspArch is a “ready-to-go” ARM system. It must be installed on a Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+, Raspberry Pi 3 Model B or Raspberry Pi 2 Model B computer.

Most important change in version 180402: Use Win32 Disk Imager
This version can be installed in Windows using Win32 Disk Imager. Previous versions could only be installed when running a Linux system. Using Win32 Disk Imager has one disadvantage though. Only about 1GB can be used as data storage no matter which card you use. The system is of 3GB and the system partition of 4GB. If you use a card of 32GB about 28GB will be unused. Yesterday a member on this site wrote about how to get rid of the 1GB limit after Win32 Disk Imager has been used:
– write the image with Win32 Disk Imager
– start up Ubuntu or another Linux system – you can also use a Linux Live CD/USB stick
– start GParted – screenshot before resizing
– resize the DATA partition – screenshot after resizing
– done!
This screenshot shows that RaspArch now has about 25GB free storage.

NEWS in RaspArch Build 180402
A new kernel – 4.14.31-1-ARCH. All included packages have been updated to the latest version as of 180402. I have added support for Yaourt – a Pacman Fronted. I have also installed PulseAudio. Finally the sound works very well in RaspArch. Nice if you like YouTube. Note: To be able to install Yaourt I had to install a lot of development tools.

The Raspberry Pi 3 model B made in February 2016. It has a 1.2GHz 64-bit quad-core ARMv8 CPU and 1GB RAM. The Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ was out on the market March 14, 2018. The Pi 3 Model B+ packs a 1.4GHz 64-bit quad-core ARM Cortex A53 CPU made by Broadcom, dual-band 802.11ac wireless LAN support, Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity, and Gigabit Ethernet support over USB 2.0 connectivity (that’s up to 300Mbps).

Raspberry Pi 3 Model 3 B+: How much better is it than the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B? The tiny computer is supposed to be faster and better in every way, including upgraded processor speed, wireless internet, and Ethernet connections.

SCREENSHOTS
Screenshot 1 of RaspArch’s Desktop – YouTube running
Screenshot 2 of RaspArch’s Desktop – Wicd running
Screenshot 3 – Yaourt running (while installing Geany)

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